Avatar: The Trials of Takan
by JLLowe
Summary: 500 years after Avatar Aang defeated Fire Lord Ozai and brought an end to his cruel reign, a new Avatar is called upon to save the world from a new threat. Rated T for later chapters. No original characters, all OCs. Some boy-on-boy later.


Welcome all to the first story posted on this profile.

I'm JLLowe, part-time author and full-time geek, nice top meet you.

Hopefully, this will be a story I'll see through to the end, but don't hold your breath as I'm notorious at getting distracted and forgetting to update. I'm gonna try really hard to keep at it though.

Anyway, on to the details.

This is a story using the world of Avatar, but not the characters. It's set 500 years in the future when a new Avatar must save the world from some terrible threat. I know the world would have probably changed a lot, but I chose to ignore this to make it easier for me to write.

So, let's get on with the show. Reviews and comments are welcomed so feel free to let me know if I'm not wasting my time on what should be a long, detailed story. This chapter is pretty short, more like an introduction, so expect longer ones in the future.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Legend of Aang or anything to do with it. I do own all the original characters and love them to bits.

**Chapter One - How it Began**

The sky was a soft, power blue and the sea was gentle on the day that Takan and Juka left the Northern Water Tribe. Their boat bobbed merrily on the water, pulled along by Juka's steady Waterbending. This was vast improvement on the terrible waves that crashed violently against the wall of ice, which had only barely protected the snow covered city mere weeks ago. The worrying weather patterns had forced the brothers to leave their home much earlier than they'd anticipated, but they weren't complaining. If their departure would eventually save the North Pole from eventual destruction, then so be it.

"You could help, you know," Juka commented, his strong back and long arms already starting to twinge from the constant Waterbending.

Juka, one of the tallest members of the Northern Water Tribe, had always been a good head and shoulders above most of the other men. He would have been employed as a scout, his superior line of vision perfect for spotting enemy ships approaching the city, had he not volunteered to be his brother's full time guard, a job no one else was willing to do. As he stood in the boat, his arms moving constantly in time with the waves beneath him, his mahogany coloured hair whipped about in the sea breeze. He'd tied his long hair back, but it was refusing to stay in place. Stray strands of hair kept snaking into his vividly blue eyes. The cold air had even managed to sneak under his thick, fur lined coat, chilling his body thoroughly.

Takan merely laughter and gazed up at his older brother as if he were stupid. "You honestly expect me, the Avatar, medium between our world and the Spirit World, saviour of the Four Nations, to help with such an undignified task like sailing a boat? Surely you jest, brother. It would no doubt be a waste of my numerous talents." He resumed his relaxed position, sprawled across the heavily cushioned bottom of the long, wooden boat, and pulled his collection of warm blankets closer around himself.

The young Avatar considered himself to be a very handsome man, taking great care in his looks and general appearance. He refused to let the chilly air touch his skin when he spent so long keeping it smooth and perfect. His hair, the same colour as Juka's, was cut much shorter and framed his face in dark waves. A pair of tight braids hung down by his ears, secured at the bottom by blue, glass beads, the exact shade of his eyes. He'd been curled up on the floor of the boat since they'd set off that morning without offering any help to his ailing older brother.

The boat itself wasn't made for long journeys across the ocean. Back home, they were used to traverse the numerous canals that made up the Water Tribe city or could be seen out scouting in the ocean for enemy ships. Taking one so far out into the freezing waters hadn't been recommended by the experienced sailors, but a larger ship would have stood out. In the end, the brothers had no choice and were presented with a small, fully stocked vessel that would be easy enough to sail and easy enough to hide. That said, Juka was very, very tempted to turn treacherous and throw his brother over board, Avatar or not, to make the journey that much easier. Only his calm nature and the promise he made to his mother, which prevented him from hurting the younger Waterbender too much, stopped him from doing so.

"I'm not your servant, Tak," replied Juka, gently slowing down the sweeping motions his arms had been making for the past two hours and letting them drop limply to his sides. "I didn't follow you out of the city to do every little thing for you. You're going to help or I'm going back."

Glancing at at his brother to see if he was serious, a pointless action considering his brother was always serious, Takan groaned and said, "Tell you what, allow me ten more minutes to relax my frankly perfect body, and then I'll take over until we reach land. Does that sound fair?"

It did sound fair, but Juka knew his brother better than that. Ten minutes hadn't even passed before Takan had fallen into a deep sleep and even after eighteen years of living with the self centred, lazy Avatar, Juka still hadn't discovered a way to wake him from such a state. Nothing short of the apocalypse could rouse the boy now, leaving poor Juka to continue the tiring task of navigating towards land. He quietly cursed his brother's name under his breath, using as many swear words as he could think of while the oblivious Avatar slept on.

* * *

The oblivious Avatar was in fact having a wonderful dream. He was back at the North Pole, surrounded by beautiful girls as they snuggled together by a wonderfully warm fire. His brother and the cold, cramped boat were nowhere to be seen. Instead, he found himself in the private room that Chief Koren had provided for the all powerful Avatar.

Relaxing as the ladies wrapped themselves around him, their hands caressing his body with such care, Takan closed his eyes and thought, "I could stay here forever. This is even better than my 18th birthday party!"

Before he could even recall the glorious events of that very pleasurable evening, there was a sharp cough and his eyes flew open. The girls had vanished as well as the fire and the room. In its place was simply nothingness; an endless land of white that hurt to look at. However, that wasn't what Takan was looking at. In front of him sat a boy, much younger than himself, with a blue arrow tattooed across his very bald head. He knew the boy instantly; the bold yellow and orange robes being a dead giveaway.

"Avatar Aang," Takan greeted feigning politeness while crossing his legs to copy the boy's meditative stance. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Aang merely smiled. He'd dealt with Takan's flippant and often downright rude attitude before.

"Nice to see you too, Takan. How's the training going?"

"Excellent, as always," Takan replied with a well executed eye roll. "I hope that's not the only reason you disturbed my, frankly, perfect dream because I'd really rather catch up another time."

"Too bad," said Aang. "You've got no choice."

"Well, you're certainly in a persuasive mood. How can I say no when your argument is so flawless?"

He flashed the Airbender a cool smile, which faltered when Aang's expressions didn't change. If there was one thing Takan had always disliked about the odd, know-it-all monk, it was how he never seemed fazed by anything the current Avatar said. In fact, it really annoyed him.

"Exactly," Aang replied with a cheeky grin. "But I think you'll find my news very interesting."

After eying his previous incarnation suspiciously, Takan nodded. Despite his rather dismissive manner towards others, including the famous Airbender before him, he did take his Avatar duties seriously. At least, more serious than anything else in his life.

"Fair enough," he agreed. "Talk away."

"I'm guessing you've already heard about the chaotic weather," asked Aang.

"Seen it first hand," was the quick reply. "If it goes on for any longer, the North Pole will melt away into the sea and all the Waterbenders will get very close and personal with their element. Do you know what's causing it?"

Aang nodded. "Something is draining the control that binds the elements."

There was a moment of silence. Takan looked at Aang is though he was talking gibberish. "What?" he finally asked.

"Something is drain…"

"Yeah, I heard you!" Takan interrupted, crossing his arms in annoyance. "What does that even mean? How are the elements bound?"

"It's simple really. Benders have the power to control the elements," Aang explained patiently. "When there are plenty of Benders around the world, the elements stay under control, but because so few Benders have been born recently the elements are becoming wild and unpredictable. Something is removing the power of Benders before they are born."

"That's…that's…insane." Takan sneered cruelly at Aang. "Come on! That couldn't sound more made up if you tried. How is that even possible?"

"Don't know, don't care," Aang admitted. "It's your job to solve it because, believe me, this is happening and it will continue happening until you take your job seriously. The Spirit World is in an uproar. None of the spirits can fully control their element anymore and they keep passing through to your world. There are rumours of a darkness on the horizon, but none of them will talk about it.

"This is your destiny, to protect the world from threats like this. You have to stop this from happening and restore order before the world is completely torn apart. Understand?"

Reluctantly, Takan nodded. This was too much for him to handle. He'd expected a rampaging spirit perhaps, disrupting the sea and causing the bizarre weather, but out of control elements? Something draining the powers of Benders? He needed to lie down and think this through.

Aang grinned at him, his youth shining clearly on his face. "Don't worry though. The other Avatars and I are always here to help if you need us. I mean, we're only really good for advice and stuff, but we're here."

Somehow, that didn't make Takan feel better. He was standing up to leave when a thought suddenly occurred to him.

"Hey, how come you're here? Where's Avatar Baku? He's usually the one to pass on message to me."

With a look of worry, Aang laughed nervously. "Well, Avatar Baku asked me to come in his place. After eighteen years of talking to you and getting to know you, he…well…"

Takan nodded his head, waving his arms to encourage the Airbender to finish his sentence.

"He couldn't stand the thought of seeing you again."

Offering one final bright, if slightly anxious, grin, Aang faded into the white background and Takan woke up. His vision was suddenly filled by the ocean again. The sky above was stained red with the golden sun hovering just above the horizon. He swore loudly, still angry at Aang's parting words and sat up.

Juka was exactly where he'd been several hours ago, Waterbending the boat through the water, but the poor man looked exhausted. Sweat covered his face and his stance was much weaker than it had been. When he saw Takan sit up, he happen flung himself down onto the bottom of the boat, panting heavily.

"You…you…arse!" he gasped, glaring viciously at his younger brother.

Shrugging in a bored fashion, Takan rose and took on the same stance that his brother had. Soon, the boat was moving again, heading towards the large land mass approaching them from the south. The Earth Kingdom was finally in sight and Takan had his marching orders from his predecessors. This thought didn't fill him with glee, more like dread, but it was far too late to back out now. His whole life had led up to this moment.

As Takan Waterbended the boat onwards, a worrying thought floated aimlessly through his head. What if he failed?

* * *

Across the world, near the Southern edges of the Earth Kingdom, Lord Xion paced around the grand hall in his stately mansion. His thoughts were as far away as you could get from his duties as Lord of Gaoling. After all, he'd barely left his home in years. The concerns of the city and its people hardly mattered to him anymore as he focused instead on his new found abilities.

"It's not enough!" he bellowed, his voice filled the room with its intense anger. "I'm still too weak!"

Xion was no longer the young, handsome man who'd risen to power in his early years. Now almost completely bald with only a few wisps of silvery hair on his temples, he'd become frail and wrinkled as he approached his 70th year of life. His face was covered in lines, one for each of his worries, each of his smiles and each of his frowns. His dark eyes that were once able to attract women from across crowded rooms had become dull and slightly clouded. The only redeeming qualities he had were his strong legs, which could still carry him where he needed to go even if they did shake from time to time, and his mind. He was still sharp witted and cleverer than most, spending all of his spare time reading and working on a number of secret projects.

As he marched across the cold, stone floor, wrapped up in his majestic green robes, he stamped his foot a little too hard and the ground beneath him rumbled.

"Calm down, my lord," a sickly sweet voice floated across to him.

Xion turned to see a beautiful woman standing in the shadows by his ceremonial throne, the centre piece of his hall. He strode over to her and seated himself elegantly into the ornate, wooden chair.

"How can I calm down when you won't grant me the thing I asked you for? The one thing my heart desires above all else?"

"Patience, love," the woman cooed, wrapped her pale hands around one of his. "This is not a quick process. You must give me time to prepare everything we need. I promised you power and I will not fail you."

Xion's frown faded into something gentler and he offered the woman a small smile. "My dear Heyan. How is it you always know the ways to calm my nerves?"

"Because I know you, my lord," Heyan purred into his ear. "I was so like you once. Desperate for what was clearly mine, but I had to learn patience and I am a better person as a result. Besides, you are wrong about your powers diminishing. They are growing with every passing moment and soon you will have exactly what you've always wanted."

Gripping her hands tightly, Xion pulled Heyan in front of the throne and into the light spilling through the halls towering windows. "How could I ever have doubted my little desert flower?"

Heyan was indeed a beautiful woman, radiating the youth and life that Xion had lost. Her skin was as pale as porcelain, glowing under her waves of raven black hair. Her long locks cascaded over her shoulders and down her narrow back. Woven into her hair were black bird feathers, resembling wings as they stood out along her back and arms. Wrapped tightly around her thin, delicate body was a dress of grey silk, clutching to her like a second skin. Her most outstanding features, however, were her brilliant red eyes, shimmering like fire under her thick eyelashes, and her unusual headdress. It resembled a huge raven's head with a pointed silver beak jutting out over her face and rows of black feathers covering every inch of the peculiar garment. She looked like a tribal priestess, ready to cast a spell with her bewitching smile.

Bowing low before the Earth Kingdom lord, she cast her gaze towards the ground and said, "I live to serve you, my lord."

She extended a hand for Xion to kiss, which he happily complied with, pressing his creased lips against her soft skin.

"Tell me the next step, my dear. I must secure the rest of my power."

"My spies are still scouting," she explained, lifting her head to meet his eyes. "When they return with information on the Air Nomads we shall proceed with obtaining your final power. For now, we must deal with the Avatar."

Xion's eyes widened, but he kept quiet and nodded.

"He is your greatest threat right now," she continued. "If he gains control over all the elements then he'll stop us and all our efforts will be for naught."

"Agreed. We'll just have to take care of him before he becomes too powerful. Ren! Sen! Get in here!"

Heyan rose to stand behind the elderly lord as two twin sisters entered the room from a side door.

Both girls looked eager and ready to obey their master's every whim. They were identical from their matching tanned skin and green eyes to their long, black hair that looked similar, but not as glossy as Heyan's. One sister had her hair loose and free, letting it hang around her face in curtains, while the other wore hers braided in one long line down her spine. Even the style of their dresses matched. Both were sleeveless and reached their ankles, splitting along their outer legs for better movement. The braided twin wore a green dress with swirling black patterns while her sister wore a black dress with swirling green patterns. Their bodies were strong and athletic, making them look like sheathed swords, ready to strike at their master's command.

"You called, Master Xion?" said Sen, the braided sister, as they knelt at his feet.

"I require your unique services, girls," Xion explained, rapping his fingers against the arm of his chair. "There's a mission I need you to complete. An assassination."

"Ooh! Our favourite type of mission!" exclaimed Sen excitedly while her sister remained calm and composed.

"Anything you say, Master," Ren added. "We won't fail you."

"Use any means necessary," said Xion. "Your target is the Avatar and he must be eliminated."

If the twins were surprised by this news, they didn't show it. Ren's emotionless mask never left her face and, if anything, Sen looked positively delighted. They nodded obediently and stood up.

Heyan swept forward, handing Ren a scroll of paper held together by a green ribbon. Ren shot the older woman a look of distaste, but took the scroll nevertheless.

"I have it on good authority that he has just left the frozen North and is fast approaching the Earth Kingdom," Heyan revealed, snobbishly looking down her nose at the girls. "Everything you need to know about him is in that scroll. He may well be guarded, but that shouldn't pose too much a challenge. Find him before he finds an Earthbending teacher or don't bother returning."

The twins uncertainly cast identical looks of worry in Xion's direction who nodded in agreement. This mission was far too important for them to fail. They bowed low to their master before dashing out of the room.

Heyan clicked her tongue in annoyance. "I cannot fathom why you keep those two worthless peons around. They are wholly inadequate for such a vital mission."

"They are skilled at what they do," Xion countered, waving his hand dismissively. "Besides, they are devoted to me and owe me their lives. They won't fail me."

With a well executed roll of her eyes, Heyan circled back around the throne to face Xion.

"My lord, if all goes well, you will soon become the most powerful being in the world. No one would dare cross you. Your power would rival that of the Fire Lord. He will cower at your feet like the dog he is. You will have no need for pathetic creatures like those two."

"Noted, my love, but for now they stay," he replied with a finality in his voice that silenced the feathered woman.

He raised a withered hand in their air and smirked as stones from the ground started to circle around his fingers. Taking a slow, steady breath out, he breathed fire into the world. The flickering flames danced into the circle, dotting themselves between the rocks. With his other hand, he waggled his fingers, drawing water from the very air itself. The water droplets span around, glistening in the fire's light before joining the circle as well. Xion chuckled to himself, relishing the feeling of full control over three of the elements when he hadn't even been able to Earthbend a year ago. Soon, he'd gain dominion over air and his lifelong dream would finally become a reality.

Taking her place by his side once more, Heyan smirked at the power hungry lord, her red eyes flashing maliciously. Everything was going according to her carefully plotted plan as long as the senile old coot believed he was in control. It wouldn't be long before she'd have what she spent so long hoping for; revenge, and that thought alone made her smirk widen into a truly wicked grin.


End file.
